Fate Broken Past
by Enigmagic
Summary: Millennia after our present day, the race to obtain the Holy Grail has left the world very different from the world we know. World War 3 and the Global Cultural Revolution have changed everything. Now, set to the dystopic background of Pure Tokyo, a new Holy Grail War is beginning. Follow Rei, a young magus, as she attempts to complete her mission and win the Holy Grail War!
1. The Masters

In the course of the last millennium, two major events spring to mind. The first would, obviously, be World War 3. The other would be The Global Cultural Revolution which resulted in the destruction of hundreds and thousands of years worth of historical knowledge and fact. Now, you may be wondering why I am opening with a short history lesson, however I can promise it's important. You see, both of these events are connected by a single phenomenon that occurs throughout the years.

The Holy Grail War. Those chosen by the grail with the magical capabilities to summon a Servant are gifted a Servant of one of seven classes. Saber, Lancer, Archer...um… I think there's one called Berserker? Point is, seven Servants are summoned to seven Masters and are made to compete in battle for the Holy Grail, an object said to grant any wish.

And that's where I come in. My name is Rei and I am a soon-to-be Master in this current Holy Grail War.

I run my finger across the glowing red circle that I have drawn upon the smooth, black floor of my room. It's light is faint, but in the darkness it casts an eerie atmosphere over everything, a reminder of what I am about to do. Nevertheless, I am unafraid. Because this is a test of courage. If I falter here, my quest may as well be over before it even begins.

I draw breath and begin to chant the incantation. Once… Twice… I feel magical energy flow through me and into the crackling, sparking red ring. The sound of electricity grows in intensity and I grimace. Damn… If it wasn't for that surprise business trip, my parents would probably be awake and stopping the ritual right about now. Still, this isn't the time to think about that. I swallow and steel myself. Chanting the incantation once more.

And then, from the void, an eruption of light hurls me back slamming my back against my dresser and almost knocking me out.

"Shit! That hurt like hell."

I rub where it hurts, using a bit of magic to lightly heal myself, and crack open my eyes as the glow fades away. A thin layer of smoke dissipates from the room, leaving me at the feet of a mysterious man who has materialised within my room.

My Servant.

He's decently tall, young, with reasonably long blonde hair. Judging from his expression, he seems to be a stoic type, an adventurer. And on his head sits a dark green cloth hat, which matches the rough green shirt… no… tunic(?) he wears. Presumably, to compliment his outfit, he wears brown leather boots and a brown leather satchel from which a set of arrows pokes their eagerly glinting heads out from within. Finally, in hand, he carries a fine, but scratched, oaken bow.

"Oh. Archer?" I guess. He shakes his head in response, running a hand through his hair and sighing. He lifts down a gloved hand to me.

"Saber, this time, actually. But Archer would probably work fine..." With little effort, he pulls me up. "Ah, there we go, Miss."

I nod timidly. And then I remember what the hell I'm doing.

"Ah! Right! Well, that's my strategy, you see." I cough nervously and clear my throat. "Hahaha… A saber class is much more, um, dynamic. You know?"

It's amazing how much doubt can be expressed through simply raising one eyebrow. Blushing, slightly, I choose to ignore it. If I get embarrassed or offended now, then how am I going to complete my mission?!

"Ahem… Right, Saber…" Gotta remember I'm his Master. Just calm down and introduce yourself. I feel my heartbeat return to its normal pace and I begin, just like I had practiced so many times in the mirror before today.

"M-My name is Rei. I'm a 3rd year student at Pure Tokyo High. I like writing and eating snacks. I've called you here for-"

He holds up a hand and cuts me off, an impatient scowl on his face.

"For the Holy Grail War. Yeah, save your breath, I get it. Trying to fill me in would just be a waste of time."

"Oh." I mumble and stare at the floor.

He cracks his neck and stretches, sitting on my bed. He sighs and rubs his chin.

"Kid, why do you even want this cup in the first place?"

It's a good question. Honestly, even I'm not completely sure of the correct answer. I tug on my ponytail, playing with it nervously.

"Ah, well… That's… Because I have a sacred mission, don't I?"

I laugh, half-heartedly. Saber remains unenthused. He toys with an arrow, turning it's head around in his fingers. After a long, awkward silence he eventually speaks.

"...Good enough for me." He grunts. "I can't say I haven't been on more pointless adventures before."

"Ah… You're not going to question it?"

Well! It's not like I want him to question it! But with how serious he's been acting I'd feel better if he had at least said something. Like a "oh, and what would that be? Never mind." Or… Or SOMETHING!

"Eh." He gets up and goes to the window, looking out over the city. Eventually, he takes out a small notebook and begins sketching something. Peeking over his shoulder, I realise that it's a map of the city.

Suddenly, without turning away from the scene before him, he begins to talk again.

"I'm a Servant. Honestly, I'm just here to do my thing and get out of here. So, if that means getting you this goblet… Well, that's fine with me. Just don't expect me to do all the work this time..."

~•~

Akira Katekiyo stands in front of the grand wooden doors, his palms cold and slick with sweat. He breathes in through his nose and out again in a wheezing, rhythmic pattern.

 _Come on. You can do it. Come on. You can do it. Come on. You can do it._

Despite his constant attempts at reassuring himself, he can hear a frequent clicking sound that he knows is his teeth chattering. Behind his glasses, his eyes water slightly and his pupils dart to the side. No-one's behind him… That's good.

 _Come on, you sack of crap. Be brave. Be brave!_

He swallows again and silently shouts inwardly, his hands balling into fists. He knows he doesn't have any other choice but to do it. He takes a shallow breath and closes his eyes, wincing, as he opens the door to the innermost chamber. His father's meeting room. The sanctuary.

Normally, this room would be filled with throngs of his father's "employees". They would all sit around the grand, floating table in the center of the room, cursing and joking among them. Then, of course, his father would enter and the room would go deathly silent as each man would stand and bow, before returning quietly to their seat.

 _And then… What? They discuss business? They perform a demonic sacrifice?_

Come to think of it, Akira had never been allowed to spend a full meeting within the room. Gently but firmly, as he always was, his father would kick him out just as the talking began. When he was younger, he'd stand around the door, trying to listen in. But now that he's older, well, he couldn't care less. He'd much rather spend his time in the company of Dark Angel Kuro-tan, reading the latest installment of Weekly Shonen Core or commanding virtual armies within one of his many VR multiplayer dungeons. Currently, he had advanced to a level 98 Commander of Damned Souls with a majority of points in tactics, espionage and, his weapon of choice in these games, charisma and manipulation.

 _Fat load of good that's done me IRL, though._

As soon as he thought it, he winced at his choice of words, considering his plump frame. However, the embarrassment soon subsided as he shook his head and reminded himself what exactly he had done. Curbing his desire to hyperventilate, he examined the room.

Despite the normal appearance of the inner sanctum, today the room had been cleared to make room for a large red summoning circle. This had been done by the hired help, sans his father's knowledge, at the orders of Akira. He swallowed and began to speak in a warbling, cracking voice.

"Uh… Um… Y-You're a S-Servant, right?"

Sitting in the middle of the circle, having pulled up a chair, sat a young girl. Probably in her teens. She had long black hair, pale skin and was wearing a dull grey costume of lace minor frills. Perhaps even duller than her costume were her eyes, which seemed to be of a sort of blue-ish colour.

The girl didn't answer, instead glaring at her Master.

 _Ahaha… Of course she wouldn't respond. Even magically summoned hero girls refuse to talk to me…_

"Eheh… Uh… C-Can I get you anything Miss…" He mumbled, pathetically.

The girl exhaled angrily through her nose, staring daggers at poor Akira.

"Archer." She responded bluntly and with venom.

"Ah… Right, okay. So you are a Servant. Good to know…"

Akira fumbled with his words, nervously twiddling his thumbs.

 _Oh god… Please let things get better before they get worse..._

~•~

 _...Shit. Can this goddamn day get any worse?_

Contorted with anger, the woman rubbed her temples with her face buried in her hands. Before her stands a man, mid 20's, spiky hair swept back, wearing blue armour with golden bolts on each side and which trails off into a sort of tailcoat. Over the armour, he wears some sort of necktie. The most striking feature about the man would be his eyes, bright and hopeful and determined, they shine with a passionate light. Of course, right now, he doesn't exactly look heroic… No, he look entirely panicked. Sweating bullets, he looks around the room in a state of utter confusion.

 _Of all the Servants, I happened to summon this idiot… Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_

With each exclamation, the woman slams her head on her dusty, grimy desk, sending papers and files flying to the ground.

"Lancer…" She groans, her voice muffled by faux wood. "What in the depths of hell are you doing?"

Lancer stops suddenly, looking at his Master. With a nervous laugh, he scratches the hairs on his neck.

"Uh… Ah, well… Not to be rude or anything…"

He pauses before cracking a weak, apologetic grin.

"Just where exactly am I?"

Resting her face on her right hand, the woman takes a cigarette out and places it in her mouth with her left before lighting it. She takes a long drag of the synthetic tobacco and whatever else they mix in with it these days.

"Tokyo… Well, 'Pure' Tokyo. We're well in the future from the time you were alive."

This shocks Lancer and he stumbles back, before catching himself on the cheap bookcase.

"Whoa! Wait a second… Are you saying I'm- I'm dead?!"

"Depends. You feeling dead right now?"

She takes another drag of the cigarette, scrunching up her face in disgust. The quality of these things have really gone downhill…

"Uh… Well, no. Not exactly."

 _Smack_

A streak of silver flew through the sky and the woman's ashtray met it's target, smacking Lancer straight in the middle of his forehead.

"Well, then!" She growled and pointed a finger at him. "There's your answer, dumbass!"

With a slight kick, Lancer collapsed to the cold, tiled floor. Wiping a hand down her face, the woman moaned in frustration and slumped back in her seat. Looking down at her desk, she toyed with the little lump of gold sitting in the middle of the 'wooden' surface.

 _Once again, I have no-one to blame but myself. I was the one who went out of her way to find and use a damn catalyst to summon this goddamn moron… Shit… I really should have just left it up to fate instead of going for whatever seemed good at the time._

Her eyes rest on her hand, the red mark of the Master of Lancer burnt into it.

 _I wonder, if I cut off my hand, will I get another shot at this? Heh…_

~•~

With a bright smile, Carrie ran up to her superior, waving the whole time. Despite the strange looks the other patrons of New York International Airport shot her, she deftly shot through the crowd to reach her target.

"Hey, Mr. Kolt! How the heck are ya~!?"

She laughed uproariously and grabbed the man's hand, shaking it vigorously. Finally releasing her death grip, she loosened and adjusted her tie.

Carrion Bloom was American born and raised. A tall, upbeat, cocky girl with enough energy output to bring about the heat death of the universe. For today's very formal occasion, she was dressed in a black suit and pants with a white shirt and grey tie. Just like the Men In Black, she joked. To complete the look, she'd had her hair cut into a very professional bob and had picked out an even more professional looking black suitcase to hold her luggage.

Hammond Kolt looked her over before giving a single nod. He was a late middle-aged man with prematurely white hair and the sort of face that you'd imagine on a top assassin. Not that he was one, of course… Well, not anymore, at least. In any case, he was a serious man with a serious job.

When he wasn't keeping Carrie out of trouble, that is.

"I'm glad to see you've at least tried to dress professionally today, Miss Bloom. I was almost expecting you to turn up dressed in full war get-up or something equally ridiculous."

Despite his cold and serious expression, Kolt spoke with a southern drawl which seemed almost contrary to his nature. Or at least he felt so.

Carrie laughed and bounced from foot to foot like a boxer.

"Yeah, yeah. You're all talk, Mr. Kolt. Just you wait, one of these days you're gonna be callin' me Boss!" She joked. Kolt simply sniffed.

"We'll see."

Hmph. Carrie was fond of Kolt, he was a good boss, but he had no sense of humour. The closest she's seen him get to smiling was the time he got drunk at the office Christmas party. But, well, the less said about that the better.

Carrie shuddered thinking about it, just as the announcement was made calling her to her flight.

"Welp!" She jumps up and claps her hand. "That's my plane! See ya, old man!"

However, as Carrie got up to leave she felt a firm hand on her left shoulder.

"Hold on, one second, Bloom."

Wheeling around, she found Kolt was the person behind the hand.

"Hey! Let go, I'm gonna miss my flight!"

She whined and struggled, but Kolt had a strong grip. Finally, she stopped and sulked. Kolt sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Bloom. Before you go, I just want to remind you. This isn't a game. I want you to be safe."

"Sure, gramps." She rolled her eyes, and held up the back of her hand. "Look, with this guy I don't have anything to worry about. You're just being paranoid."

She laughed and playfully punched Kolt in the arm. He remained unamused.

"...That's exactly the attitude I'm talking about."

With a grunt, he paused and began fishing through his suit pocket before finally bringing out a little metal tablet and placing it in Carrie's palm.

As soon as she saw it, Carrie's eyes lit up.

"Ooh~! What's this? A gift for me~? You shouldn't have!"

Flipping it around in her hand, Carrie discovered that it was a rather sleek phone. With almost an air of pride in his voice, Kolt pointed to it.

"It's Magitech, so don't lose it. You know how damn expensive these things are…"

Kolt's words were cut short as he suddenly found himself on the receiving end of an anaconda-like hug from Carrie. Quickly releasing him before his ribs were crushed, Carrie grinned even wider than before and began jogging down the airport path, waving all the while.

"Thanks a million, Kolt!" she cried. "I'll see ya soon!"

~•~

In the darkness, a man and woman sit across from each other. He is one of the Masters in the Holy Grail War, as of ten minutes ago. Even now, he's still catching his breath after a particularly taxing summoning. Yes, even with a catalyst, this Servant was a particular difficult one to summon due to her level of power.

He tidies the documents he had used as a catalyst and places them in his drawer where they seem to disappear into nothingness. He then lifts his head to address the woman across from him.

A western woman. Blue eyes, blonde hair done in a bun. Elegant. But, as her legend poses, incredibly powerful and deadly.

She smiles at him.

Yes. With this Servant, he has nothing to fear...


	2. Saber

Rei poked at her breakfast. A jellied mass, it somewhat resembled clear tofu or a block of pudding. With each prod, it rippled slightly and returned to it's original state.

Normally, being a morning person, she would have finished by now. However, the events of the previous night had left her exhausted...

"Do you think that our food looks like how it does because people in the past thought that's what future food would look like and the companies just went with it, or do you think people in the past thought future food would look like this because, you know, this was the logical end point for food?"

Rei wondered aloud to her breakfast partner, staring intently at the dish. Saber, without looking up from the daily newspaper, crossed his legs and took a sip of his coffee. Half-milk/Half-coffee , no sugar.

"I don't know. All I know is that if you skip breakfast, you'll run out of energy halfway through the day. And then, well, you're likely to get stabbed in the back by a knight or a guard or something…"

Rei gasped, her enthusiasm turning to horror.

"That's a thing that happens!?"

Saber nodded and folded the paper up, placing it on the table. Without a word, he returned to cleaning his sword. Rei watched with curiosity, humming slightly irritably as she did so. And when he finished the sword, he moved on to his bow. Waxing it to prime condition. Rei watched and tapped her fingers impatiently on the table. Saber moved on to the buckle on the satche-

Eventually, she slammed her hands on the table and asked the question that had been bugging her ever since she summoned the servant.

"Come on! Just which heroic spirit are you?!"

Saber chuckled and put the satchel down on the ground, turning back to his first task of drinking his coffee.

"I told you last night. Just call me whatever the hell you want. It's all the same to me."

"Even if I call you Sarah?"

"Even if you call me Sarah."

Rei raised an eyebrow quizzically. The universal symbol of "I call BS." Saber merely shrugged and finished draining his cup of coffee.

"Refill?"

He holds out the empty cup to Rei who, with a huff of frustration, took it and filled it up with more coffee.

Truth be told, she was still grumpy about what happened the night before. Having summoned Saber, apparently one of the best servant classes, she'd been overjoyed. When he so easily agreed to the pact, even more so. However, that joy quickly drained away as she found him less than forthcoming with even the most basic information. He refused to tell her his name, despite the standard protocol. He refused to tell her his noble phantasm or his skills, as well. He wouldn't even give her a hint! All because he wasn't 100% sure there weren't any servants that could read minds… What a joke.

 _*Slam*_

Rei put down the cup of coffee in front of her servant and headed back to her seat to continue prodding at her breakfast.

"Geez… Who thought it was a good idea to make food all square-y? I bet it would be a lot more artistic if it was a sphere… And, you know, apparently food tastes way better when it's cone shaped?"

Saber nodded along as Rei spoke, making his way through his second cup of coffee.

"Anyway, yeah…." Without looking up from the dish, Rei motioned for Saber to listen. "I was thinking we should take a walk around town today. Take a look at, you know, the landscape… Maybe buy some… supplies or something?"

At Rei's suggestion, Saber sat upright in his seat and broke out into a grin.

"Mapping the area in advance for battle? That's surprisingly reasonable of you."

"Hey! What do you mean 'surprisingly'!? I can be pretty decent at strategy, you know!"

Saber shrugged and chuckled, exiting his chair and packing his weapons into his satchel.

"Well, in any case, you should finish your breakfast before we head out. You should be in full spirits, in case we get attacked by enemy servants. While you do that, I'll make my own preparations…"

….? Rei tilted her head in confusion.

"Huh? You know you can just ride around in spirit form, right?"

Saber scoffed, his face falling into the scowl of the visibly offended.

"Of course I know that! What good would I be if I didn't know something that basic?!"

This only served to further Rei's confusion.

"Then… How come you're preparing things?"

"Well, you know, I figured a good walk would be good for the lungs and heart… It's adventurer stuff, you wouldn't understand."

"Hey!" She smacks the table. "I'm an adventurer! Kinda!"

Saber laughs off the notion, shaking his head.

"Really? Judging from this apartment, you live a pretty well-off life. I don't imagine you've been in any true danger before, from the looks of things."

Rei motioned to object, but stopped upon realising she had nothing to say. Her eyes drifted downward, back to her breakfast, and she mumbled dejectedly.

"Well… That's true… But this is an adventure, isn't it?"

Saber thinks it through before shaking his head.

"Adventures have a goal, a reason to be. They're something you choose to do for yourself. But, last I checked, you have no idea why you're doing this, do you?"

Rei remained silent. Heheh… I could have said "Reimained silent" there. That would have been funny. Still, this isn't the time nor place…

"Yeah… But I've got to do it anyway."

Rei steeled herself and spoke up with reinewed vigor. Pushing her chair out, she got up and walked towards the lounge. Stopping in the entryway, she turns her head back to Saber.

"But if you're going to come out, you can't walk around wearing that. People are going to think you're some kind of weirdo. Even the retro-fashion guys will think your clothes are way too… past, you know?"

Saber let his eyes rest into a sarcastic expression.

"Are you really giving me fashion advice? Does what I wear really matter..."

"Of course! If you go out looking like that, it's obvious you're a servant! Or, at least, people might suspect it."

Barely mulling over Rei's words, Saber let out a sigh. Loathe as he was to admit it, she did have a point. Risking being caught out due to anachronistic fashion was… less than ideal.

"Point taken… Still, I don't suppose you have anything else I could wear? I couldn't exactly squeeze into a dress."

Rei sighed and shook her head mockingly.

"There IS normally a man in the house, you know. It's not like I don't have parents. You can probably find something in my father's wardrobe."

A half-smile twitched on Saber's lips as if Rei had just said something lightly-amusing or unexpected. Still, he remained silent beyond a grunt of understanding as he made his way towards the master bedroom. Staying behind, Rei picked up her breakfast and returned it to the fridge, uneaten.

"Seriously… What a troublesome servant…" She grumbled.

~•~

Time passed and Saber finally exited the bedroom. He had changed into a green jacket with a white shirt, a pair of camo pants and a brown baseball cap. Awkwardly, he tugged on the sleeves and pulled on the collar.

"Hey… Are you sure this is what people wear these days?" He grumbles.

To his relief, Rei nodded and clapped her hands.

"Yep! It looks good on you!"

She pauses and nervously laughs.

"...Well, it's a little old fashioned but, hey! You can pass as a hipster or something."

Saber, in response, sighs irritably and puts his hands on his hips.

"Well, excuse me, Princess. This kind of outfit is pretty much non-existent back where I'm from, so you can't exactly expect me to get the hang of this straight off the bat."

As he grumbles, Rei bounces over to his side, playfully jabbing an elbow into his ribs.

"Ah, I'm just joking. No need to take everything so seriously… You look fine. It suits you."

"...Hrm. If you say so."

Rei nods and puts on her coat and gloves. And, having scanned her eyes and fingerprints, the apartment door opens and allows Master and Servant out into a pristine glowing hallway.

"You have a lot of security around here…" Saber makes an offhand comment as they enter the elevator, it's door closing with a pneumatic hiss.

"You think so?" Rei shrugs. "I think this is pretty standard for a high class apartment block…"

The elevator comes to a stop and they exit onto a snow covered platform, it's steps glowing from the heat lamps built into them to avoid people slipping. As they descend, Saber takes in his surroundings. Plants resembling small pine trees dot the area, crystals of ice hanging from their branches. A grey, metal footpath covered in snow, footprints pressed into it to show where people had previously walked. Dim streetlights flicker overhead to combat the dull darkness of the city, despite it being late in the morning.

"...Hm. This is a lot of snow for March."

"Eh. I guess maybe it is, where you're from. However, here in the present, this is how it always is…"

Rei responds with a slightly dejected, matter-of-fact tone. It was true, this sort of weather was normal in the modern day Pure Tokyo.

Ever since the events of WW3, Japan was set to an almost permanent winter. Warm summer sunlight was just one of the precious things that they had lost, and gritty wet snow had taken it's place. Of course, it could be worse. Britain seemed to be struck with unending heat and drought, China was in a perpetual flood of torrential rain, and the less said about Australia the better. Some even say that the weather in Australia is dangerous enough to kill a person even before the mutated wildlife get to them.

 _...That war left scars on every country, didn't it?_

Rei frowns as she lets her thoughts drift, shaking snow from her long orange-brown hair.

"I wish we'd get a bit more sunlight for once…" She whines and kicks the ground, sending frost in all directions. "Stupid sun! Stupid snow!"

"Well, it's nothing you can change."

Rei pouts and shoots a non-serious glare at Saber.

"Oh yeah? In that case, if my willing for the weather to get better doesn't work, I'm going to use the grail to wish for permanent warm weather."

"No, you aren't."

"...I mean, obviously I was joking. You didn't need to point that out…"

For a while, they walk in awkward silence. Their only communication being the soft patter of their footsteps in the snow.

"Hey, Kid..." Saber, surprisingly, was the first to break the silence.

"Hm?"

Rei tilted her head and looked at her companion as they turned a corner into a local park. The park was filled with bare trees, as it always had been. Maybe at some point long into the past, these trees had been filled with cherry blossom. However, now they were long dead. Frozen wood. Similarly, a frozen pond sat in the center of the park, the grass around it having turned grey and white in the eternal winter. Walking past it, Rei and Saber sit down on a hard metal park bench. It's rusted and warped, a relic of the pre-war days. One of the few, actually, considering how the upper-class area of Pure Tokyo worked to remove anything that could remind it's elite of those dark times.

"Do you live with your grandparents?"

Saber finished his question, surprising Rei. She muttered in confusion and surprise before shaking her head with confidence.

"Nope. It's just me and my parents."

"Ah… I see."

Somehow, Saber didn't seem entirely convinced. Still, he didn't question Rei's answer. In turn, this caused Rei even more confusion.

"Why would you even ask that in the first place?"

Saber hesitates, his mind carefully picking his words. Gingerly, he responds…

"Well… It's just that I noticed your house has a lot of photo's of this older couple…"

Rei paused.

Her expression gave nothing away. Her eyes blank. Whatever the reaction that would follow was, Saber couldn't guess. At this moment, she was a complete enigma.

"Pfffft…. Hahahahahaha!"

All of a sudden, Saber broke out into a grin and began to laugh.

"Oh man, be glad they didn't hear that… Haha… Oh geez… Saber, those are pictures of my parents!"

"Huh?" Saber asked, dumbfounded. His brow creasing as he scowled in confusion. "That can't be right. They look to be… 50? Maybe 60?"

"Ah, yeah… They had me really late in their life…" Rei explained, an embarrassed smile on her face. "Honestly, they were pretty sure they were going to remain childless…"

For a second, all is still, as Rei indulges her memories. However, she soon breaks the stillness. Her voice now more solemn and wistful.

"I'm really lucky to be their kid… Even though they were older than parents normally would be, they spared no effort in raising me. They were the ones who taught me all about magic and how it works… How to use it… I was extremely grateful for that. They were both gifted mages in their youth, but I was never gifted… So, it must have been frustrating to teach me at times. Even now, with all their help, I'm still slower than the rest of my class in the art of magic…"

She sighs.

"Sometimes I feel like I'm wasting all they've done for me. I'm not that great at my studies, no matter how hard I try. Honestly, I'll probably never be looked at as a true mage… Still, they don't care about that. They tell me that magic isn't everything. But, well, even if that's true, magic means a lot to me. And it means a lot to many other people…"

She stops and turns to Saber.

"Uh… I'm not boring you with all of this, am I? You probably don't want to hear about… my magic troubles..."

Saber shakes his head and smiles.

"I've always been a better listener than speaker. Keep going." He chuckles.

Rei nods.

"Right, well… Having said that, I don't really have much left to say. I guess, I'm just happy to know that I have SOME magic abilities…. Honestly, I'm pretty proud of myself just for summoning you. That means that the grail, at least, recognises me as having magic circuits in my body…"

"Ah!" Saber smacks a fist into his open palm. "So, I presume, you're part of this Grail War for their sake, then?"

First, Rei cocks her head as if she didn't quite understand what was just said. Then, she literally jumps out of her seat, waving her hands defensively.

"Ah, no! No! No way!" She shakes her head vigorously. "They'd kill me if they found out I was doing this! They are absolutely, 100% against me participating in this war! They always have been against it… It's too dangerous, they say. They don't want me having anything to do with it, so… Look! The point is, if I was thinking of doing this for their sake, I wouldn't! I'd never do something for someone, if they didn't want that something done."

Rei's response, once more, piques Saber's interest and he raises and eyebrow.

"Oh, so then why ARE you doing this?"

...Rei fidgets, her eyes to the ground. She mumbles softly, as if confessing a shameful secret.

 _Why am I part of this Grail War… Why I'm doing all of this… I guess it's because..._

"Because… I have to…"

"Oh? And why's that?"

Suddenly Rei springs back up and laughs, smiling politely at her Servant.

"Well! That's because I have a sacred mission, remember?"

And with a wink, she turns away from him and begins strolling towards the exit of the park.

"Anyway, let's go back home. I'm freezing out here." She chimes happily, as Saber slowly ejects himself from the seat.

With a grunt, he shakes his head, sending snow falling from his hair like dandruff.

"I don't get it…" He grumbles, following Rei's lead.

And, as Servant and Master leave their tracks in the snow, Rei begins to whistle a tune, despite the snow beginning to fall again.

"We better get a good rest. You wouldn't want all of our progress today to have been for naught." Saber mentions.

"Mm… Yeah, yeah. We'll need clear heads for the upcoming battles." Rei finishes for him.

Leaving the park, the duo turn the corner and head back down the street towards the apartment complex.

Without having ever noticed the pair of eyes that had been following them ever since they entered the park.

"Dammit…" Akira curses and stamps his foot on the ground. "What the hell…"

Besides him, his servant appears. Her long black hair flowing in the wind in an impossibly beautiful way.

"You can curse all you want. That was definitely a servant." She states her summation in a cold and matter-of-fact way, entirely devoid of passion.

"Yeah, I know…" Akira moans. "But… Just why did it have to be her…"

Archer turned away from her, ugh, Master and stared out into the snowy horizon that lay ahead.

"Your personal feelings aside, Katekiyo-san," She begins. "I'd say we're lucky."

"Lucky?"

"Yes." She nods and smiles with just a hint of cruelty. "Very lucky."

"After all, this gives us a tactical advantage."


	3. Assassin

At some point in history, Britain was regarded the pinnacle of the magic world. The origin of some of the greatest mages of the modern era. Now look at it… After World War Three, the majority of the once proud kingdom had been reduced to ash. The drastic shift in temperature had left most of the European continent harsh, hot and uninhabitable. That which remained of England, what still stands, was (ironically) left more-or-less the same as it had been before the war. Perhaps, in a way, this was the manifestation of that famed British "stiff upper lip" in the face of destruction that has been so prevalently mentioned. Still, this pocket of civilisation remains cut off from the rest of the battered continent, hidden behind a great wire fence. "No Exit." Have those words ever invoked the image of "no man's land" so clearly before? Or is it not the words that are important, but the sight of rubble that I can see from between the gaps in the metal wiring?

My name is Harvard Walters, and I am an apprentice Magus.

If you would permit me, allow me the luxury of discussing my life with you. Born and raised within the remains of England, I am the assistant to the current Lady El-Melloi; the most gifted and powerful magus in all of England, if not the world and the master of what remains of Clock Tower (which, supposedly, used to be something physical but is now reduced to merely a name). Which is, to say, not very much after the war but, well… I digress. In any case, for the last 12 years, I have trained by her side in the art of magic. My skills are, according to her, very high. However, I don't see it. I have a lot to learn, you know? I am nowhere near the level of power she commands. Which is why I need to keep honing my skills. Especially if I want to use my skills to help others…

"Harvey…"

She begins as she always does, with a disgruntled sigh and a half finished cup of tea cooling on her desk. She leans on her hand, elegantly manicured fingers tapping an unheard rhythm on her cheek, as she speaks. A typical scene if it weren't for the box she had so carefully placed down on her oak desk as she had entered her study. For a person who takes so much effort in her appearance, she tends to have a bad habit of treating inanimate objects with a lack of care. Hence, why the nature of this box seemed so special...

"Yes, Madame?"

She smirks. Truth be told, I think she'd prefer to be called by her first name, however she's never corrected my choice of title. Probably because she gets a kick out of the overly formal nature of the address.

"As you know," She instructs me with a knowing tone. "The Holy Grail will be appearing in Tokyo this year."

I nod once. No words need to be spoken. I am aware of what she is going to say.

"Once upon a time…" She begins, as if reading a fairytale. "You told me that you wanted to help people. That you wanted to end the suffering of people."

I nod once more.

"Tell me…" She pauses. Knowing her, it could be just as much for dramatic effect as it is from actual hesitation. "Do you still wish to do that?"

"With all due respect," I bow, smiling. "You already know my answer to that."

She chuckles and nods lightly a few times.

"Yes, I suppose I do. You're a good child, Harvey." She speaks playfully, without any malice in her tone that one might expect from the term 'child.' "Which is why, if you wish to accept it, I have prepared a gift for you."

It's now that she slides the package over to my side of the desk. It really is wrapped like a gift, with an elegant little bow around it. Still, despite the cue to open it, I merely stare at it.

"Hey, if you don't want it, I'll take it back!" She snaps at me, but it's clear from her tone that she's joking.

Despite that, I still don't open it. Instead, I opt to gently pick it up, weighing it in my hands.

"It's light."

I'm not lying. It feels incredibly light, almost as if there is barely anything in the box. This reaction causes Lady El-Melloi to laugh.

"Well, considering what it is, I'd be a little worried if it was heavy."

This is a surprise! I was sure, when she brought up the Holy Grail War, that whatever was in the box would be some kind of weapon… Like, say, a gun. Or a dagger. Something with more weight to it.

"It's not a weapon, then?" I inquire.

"Well… I wonder… Heheheh…" She answers slowly and cryptically. As expected of her. I imagine it's this sort of attitude which has irritated no end of mages, internationally or otherwise. Somehow, she manages to find a way to get on someone's bad side. At least, at first. But, once one realises that's just how she is, she's really someone anyone could respect.

...No, really. I swear.

I slowly remove the paper from the box, making sure not to tear it, and fold it neatly besides the box. Then, with the utmost care, I gently remove the boxes lid…

"Well?" Lady El-Melloi smiles at me, bemused.

I suppose, judging by her amusement, the confusion must have shown on my face. I will note, however, that my confusion was definitely justified. I think, really, anyone would have been as bewildered when instead of finding any kind of weapon, they were given what I was as their gift before a war.

A single, medium sized book. Black and with it's cover so faded and smudged that it's impossible to read.

"It's a book." I mutter.

"No, Harvey. It's a meat pie." Lady El-Melloi snaps, sarcastically. "Of course it's a bloody book."

I bow my head, assuming I had offended her.

"Ah, I'm sorry, Madame. I promise, I'll be more grateful next time."

To this, she lets out a chuckle that quickly evolves into a hearty laugh. She wipes a tear from her eye. Needless to say, I was a little hurt by her reaction.

"Oh, Harvey! You're always so stuffy and polite… That reaction is so like you…" She sighs wistfully and taps the notebook in my hands. "At the very least, it makes me glad I chose to give you this."

Am I just a court jester to you, Lady El-Melloi? Because, frankly, that's the kind of feeling I've been getting every time you speak to me… Not that I would ever tell you that, of course. Instead, I'll remain content with simply nodding calmly.

"But, Madame, without tomfoolery… What exactly is this book? Flicking through it, it doesn't seem to be written in English…"

Lady El-Melloi crosses her legs, leans back and draws a little magic circle in the air, which promptly ignites itself and fades away.

"Come now, surely you can work it out… It's something I've been holding onto for this specific day, you see…"

Ah… So that's what it is. The pieces click together, like gears in a watch, and the obvious answer is apparent.

"You mean to say that this little book is some kind of catalyst, then?"

"Yes." She leans in and smiles cryptically, a half-formed chuckle playing on the corners of her mouth. "A catalyst for summoning one of the most powerful figures of the past… A servant's spirit so deadly, I have no doubt in its ability to win the war when paired with a decent master."

I chuckle.

"And you think I'm a decent master, then? I'm flattered."

She flicks a single finger at my forehead, leaving a small red mark where it connects. Dammit… You're too rough when you do that. It actually hurts.

"Don't get too cocky. You've still got a long way to go, okay?" She laughs and takes a sip of her tea. "Besides, if your head gets too big you won't be able to focus during crucial moments. Trust me."

I bow deeply and rub the sore spot on my forehead once my head is out of sight.

"I see. Very well, Madame. I'll keep that in mind."

She pushes her chair out and gets up to leave, motioning for me to do the same.

"In that case, and I'm diverting the discussion here slightly, you better get to summoning your servant, then."

I blink twice, surprised.

"Oh? Is there a rush?"

She mimes a headache, and smiles wryly, chuckling.

"There are only two servant positions left."

Only two?! I figured that people would be quick to summon their servants, but for so many slots to be taken so quickly… This is certainly a shock.

"Ah… I see." I fidget, slightly, glancing down at the book in my hands. "In that case, are you sure that this servant still fits into a remaining class…"

Lady El-Melloi is unconcerned, however. She merely nods, confidently.

"Rider, Lancer, Caster, Archer and Saber have all been snatched up. But your servant still has his best possible class open."

"I see…" I think it through. If those five are out, then only Berserker and Assassin remain. And since I can't exactly imagine a Berserker-class servant being summoned through a book… "My servant's going to be Assassin, then?"

Lady El-Melloi offers a low whistle and ruffles my hair like I'm a child, to my annoyance.

"Clever boy… Yeah, I've given you Assassin. He's a fitting servant for a smart kid like you, right, Harvey?"

I ignore the question and merely thank her, once more.

"Don't mention it. As your mentor, I need to watch out for you, right?"

She winks and continues her path towards the door, holding it open for me.

"Now, then. After you?"

~•~

Walking past the fence, like everyday, I look out at the sun beaten earth… Dry, cracked, with nothing growing… They say that there are still people out there. Those trapped and suffering and unable to make it here, to the safe haven of Europe. I've never left England, but I've heard the stories. This isn't just limited to Britain. No, the whole world is suffering… And it's all because everyone wanted this cup to themselves.

I pick a pebble up of the pavement, and skip it off the cobblestone at my feet.

What's so great about it that everyone had to kill themselves over it, anyway? I mean, you'd think when it comes to an omnipotent wish granting device humanity would more or less join hands. Wish for, at the risk of being cliched, world peace or something.

The sun is really beating down hard today. I sit down on the garden wall, loosen my tie and fan myself with my hand. Geez… If today gets any hotter, I'm going to melt. I set down my satchel and take my shoes and socks off.

Inside the house, the air is much cooler. It shifts and changes it's temperature to perfectly complement my body heat. I sigh, happily. Thank you, MagiTech. Every night, we should be on our knees thanking you for the blessing of modern convenience.

I shake my head and get the ridiculous idea out of it. This isn't the time to be struck with appreciation for technology. This is the time for me to finally do what I've dreamed of doing. To summon a servant, and become a master in this war. To claim the Holy Grail. I laugh, eagerly. After all, there is no-one around to judge or question it. And, as I get into my comfort zone, I head towards my magic workshop at the back of the house.

A room with stained glass windows, hardwood floor and a mahogany desk. This is where I practice and hone my magic. This is my sanctuary. The place where I am most at peace. But, today, that peace isn't there. Instead… Have you ever seen a particularly corrupted video? Everything seems fuzzy, not real. As if everything is ephemeral, and intangible… You can't get a grasp on it, and you can't make out what it is. That's how I'm feeling. Nervous but excited, afraid but determined.

Clearing my mind, I place the notebook in the center of the magic circle and grasp pre-prepared mercury in my hand.

I begin to do my work, pacing slowly around the circle. Speaking rhythmically to a the beat of my own heart, allowing the mercury to drop in time with the spell.

"Fill. (drip) Fill. (drip) Fill. (drip) Fill. (drip) Fill."

The last of the mercury drips onto the circle and shines, moving like a snake to fill in every line of the image with a shining silver light.

"Let each be turned over five times, simply breaking asunder the fulfilled time."

I continue the ritual, the words flowing from my mouth as if they weren't my own but merely a cry from within the depths of my soul. At this point, I should be scared. My whole body is on autopilot, my mind entirely void of my own thoughts influence. And, yet, I remain calm. Bathing in the shining silver glow of the magic circle. And, still, the incantation is chanted, growing more rapid in pace.

By now, it has become a shout. A wail, almost. And, in turn, the circle burns with a brilliant flame. The glass tubes and containers that furnish the room shake violently, as I reach the climax of the ritual. The crescendo.

"From the Seventh Heaven, attended to by three great words of power, come forth from the ring of restraint, protector of the holy balance! Assassin!"

A great eruption, as if a smaller Mount Vesuvius erupted with golden light instead of molten lava, and the room is violently throttled by invisible energy. And then, as the room returns to normal and I open my eyes, stands my servant in the middle of the circle.

A smug looking man… No, maybe a teenager? For all the effort it took to summon him, he doesn't look particularly special. Slightly pale, with blonde hair bordering on brown and strikingly bright, shining red eyes. He wears a black suit, a white shirt and a blue tie fastened with a pin made to look like a skull. Incredibly normal looking for a servant, he could be any schmuck you bump into in the street... And yet, despite this, an aura of death and calamity envelop him like some sort of invisible poisonous mist.

"So, you're the one who summoned me…" He speaks without surprise or passion. Just some sort of… cold, dull mix of condescension and comprehension. "What a shame… I was hoping for an accomplice with a more… fitting look." He chuckles bitterly.

In all honesty, I feel like I've made a terrible mistake. That I've opened Pandora's Box and let out someone… Something… That should never have been returned to this world. But, in all honesty, it's too late now. I stand and assert my authority as a master.

"Assassin." I hold out my hand. "It's a pleasure to make your… acquaintance."

He ignores it. Instead, he takes interest in walking to the stained glass window. He pauses for a second, and then smirks fiendishly. The inner machinations of his mind remain a mystery, a mystery I have no desire to solve, at present. Instead, I walk up to him and hold up my right hand, displaying the seal.

"Assassin, I am your master." I explain the situation in brief, short phrases. "If possible, I believe it would be best to discuss our current plan-"

"Be quiet." He quickly snaps, dismissing my words. "I've been brought back from the dead to a ruined future, with nothing left to it… A world of suffering and filth… To fight in a war where the winner is granted their greatest desire… How hedonistic." He chuckles, shaking his head sadly.

He turns to me, his eyes narrowed to complement his twisted smile.

"And the worst part is that the human race seems to have even forgotten my name… What a mess."

He sits on my armchair and leans on his hand, like a bored tyrant overseeing his subjects.

"Well, then. In an case, for all intents and purposes, you'll do for the role you've chosen to take. Congratulations. Our contract is complete."

Should I be happy? Up until this moment, I was certain I wanted to be part of this war but with this guy…

No. This is what I want. If taking him as my servant will win me this war, I'll gladly accept his help.

"Thank you." I politely reply, albeit curtly.

"Now, then…" He pauses, as if calculating. "If we're to win this battle, I'm going to require as much information as possible. I need you to tell me everything you know about this world and this game."

Even if I agree, it feels strange for the Servant to be taking such a dominant and prominent role. Shouldn't he be the one filling me in on information?

"Hold on. We'll get to that in due time, Assassin. However, isn't it more important that you tell me your identity and Noble Phantasm first?"

"You say this… Yet, you still haven't introduced yourself."

"Oh…" I mutter an exclamation, before giving a slight nod to show I understand. "My name is Harvard Walters. Now, your identity if you please?"

Despite the fact that I've done as he asked, Assassin shakes his head in refusal.

"Ah… I'm afraid that's impossible, Walters. At least at this stage, that is. You see, identities are a powerful thing… They can change everything in the blink of an eye."

"But-" I move to object, but he quickly silences me with a glare.

"That isn't to say that I won't identify myself to you. No. For us to work smoothly as a team, you'll need to know who I am. You'll need to know my legacy… What I've done… What my Noble Phantasm is... However, It's just at this point, it's better if I give you the identity that I've carved into the world, at large. The name that I've left behind, that has been forgotten in your modern age…"

He smiles in a way that seems almost kind as he mouths the name.

And I instantly realise why his very presence inspires such dread. Just what kind of power this Servant commands…

I see now why you gave me that catalyst, Lady El-Melloi. This is truly a fearsome servant. A servant of power beyond man's wildest dreams… I'd almost go as far to say that this battle has already been won, just by his existence in it.

I just wish you'd given me a more heroic servant.

~•~

The next day, I wake up and get dressed at 4:00am. Lady El-Melloi had decided, probably since before she even gave me the book, that I was to take her private plane out of England as early as possible.

So, there I was. Groggy and wearing a loose grey coat, wearily climbing the metal steps into the plane. Assassin was there too, naturally, in spirit form.

" _Walters, do you remember what we talked about yesterday?"_

I nod. There isn't much to say… Besides, what kind of person forgets about a discussion after only a day. Technically, even less!

After Assassin told me his identity, we had spent the remainder of the day discussing plans. Strategies. And, eventually, we reached one we felt confident would work. Now, all that's left is to put it into action.

I enter the plane and find my seat. A comfortable, plush chair it's a perfect contrast to the ease I'm currently feeling about this war… Still, despite those thoughts, I quickly find myself falling into a deep sleep. Dreaming of a time similar, and yet different to my own.

 _Before me, I see a clean and sparkling city. Children frolic, people walk without fear… And I am at the center of it all. And, yet, I do not feel like I am good. I feel the opposite, in fact. I am the wretched. I am a bastion of crime and immorality. A monster among men. What is it, then, that makes up this self that I inhabit? More than that... I feel waves of cognitive dissonance crash upon the forefront of my troubled mind. Do I enjoy what I am? What I've done? Is it too late to stop?_

 _And then, when I turn back, I know it's far too late. Far, far too late. I've acheived everything I've worked for, but at the cost of my very humanity. And, yet, it doesn't feel like I miss my soul. Maybe, in a twisted way, I've transcended that. I can't say… Or, maybe, I don't want to say it…_

 _Like static, everything blurs together and I can no longer make out my own dream. I can no longer discern the images that inhabit my head… No longer process what it is I had seen._

I wake up with a jolt, in a cold sweat, just as the plane touches down at our destination. Wiping my brow, I look out the window and gaze upon the snow covered city that will be my battlegrounds. Feeling the plane come to a stop, I let only one thought enter my mind...

I have arrived in Tokyo.


	4. Rei

The train glides along it's track, sending the world scrolling past. Modern technology certainly is convenient… The train ride is so smooth, if you closed your eyes it would almost feel like you were sitting in place…

Rei sits quietly in her seat. It's warm, but her eyes are focused on the frigid scene outside. A pristine and white city, beautiful and clean. Each building stands out as a sort of testament to the bright hopes that make up this future world. The scenery blurs into the snow that whirls and dances across the city, becoming the metaphorical static on the screen that is the train's window.

But… Rei isn't looking at the city before her. She's looking elsewhere… Somewhere just beyond it.

She knows it's coming up. The imagery that she would so love to tear her eyes from… It lasts but a second, but it's always the strongest, most painful moment of her daily morning commute.

The point where the train turns the corner, and for the briefest of seconds she can almost see it. It goes by many names… The hellhole, Hell, The Pit… The slums quietly tucked away behind a rusted chain link fence. Dirt, filth and sewage litter the ashen remains of what used to be the Old Tokyo. But now… It's just a pile of waste.

The hideous gash in the civilised Pure Tokyo always goes by too fast for Rei to ever "truly" see, but she subconsciously tenses up every time she goes past it. Truth be told, it might not be as bad as she sees it in her mind. More than half of the image is her own imagination. But, still, it terrifies her.

" _You okay?"_

Saber interrupts Rei's thoughts. Not expecting his voice, she almost jumps out of her seat.

"Huh? Yeah. I'm perfectly fine. Why do you ask?"

Saber pauses, thinking his words through.

" _You seemed… distraught."_

"Nah, I'm just… You know… Thinking about stuff. It's mainly nerves, you know? Like... Thinking about… the war and… you know… things…"

She trails off as she becomes aware of the other passengers looking at her. Staring at what, for all intents and purposes, looks like a girl talking to herself.

"Ah…"

Rei chuckles nervously as she palms her mobile phone and holds it up for the other patrons to see. Mouthing sorry, she places it against her ear, pretending that she's speaking to someone on the other line and praying that no-one noticed that the screen was off.

"Asshole…" She grumbles. "Now everyone thinks I'm talking to a voice in my head…"

" _...You are."_

"Yeah, but I mean… Like… A non-existent voice."

If shrugging made a sound, Rei could surely hear that sound in her mind at that moment.

" _Fair enough, I guess. As far as I can tell, I do exist…"_

"..."

She sits in silence, letting the train draw ever closer to it's destination.

"You know… You didn't have to follow me to school. It's not like anyone's gonna attack me there. It's a pretty secure building."

" _You told me that this morning. Still not buying it."_

"What do you mean?"

" _Nowhere's 'secure'. Well, not perfectly. Enemies can attack from anywhere, you know?"_

"You're paranoid, Saber."

" _I prefer the term 'genre-savvy.' It makes me sound intelligent."_

Saber chuckles, the laughter buzzing through the pathways of Rei's brain.

"You don't really strike me as the book smarts type."

" _And you don't strike me as a good judge of character."_

This caused Rei to pout, as was honestly rather typical for her. She was that sort of person. So, pout she did, trying to think of a good retort. Something better than her initial "no, you" idea. But nothing came.

And, soon enough, the train stopped at it's destination. "Pure Tokyo Senior High." The most prestigious school in Tokyo for the development of magical abilities.

Rei grimaced at the thought, as she exited the train.

 _Yeah… Prestigious… If it was so prestigious, why the hell am I going here? I can barely do basic reinforcement magic..._

 _Well. That's not really a fair question. I know why I'm here. It's because Mom and Dad were great mages. But, even then-_

"Oh… Uh… It's Rei. Um… Hello."

Rei's train of thought was broken by a familiar stilted, stumbling mumble.

"Oh! Morning, Katekiyo-san!"

Akira Katekiyo enters the scene. Hair messy and uniform jacket open, the typical look of your average slob. He looks away from Rei almost guiltily. But, then again, that was typical for him. He didn't do… the whole interacting with people thing very well. He opens his satchel and, after flipping through a few books (80% manga, 15% light novels, 5% school books), he produces a video game and holds it out to Rei with a sheepish grin.

"I, um… I found my copy of the HD-remake of ExiStory so, uh… I figured… I should probably return this. Don't worry! I didn't scratch it or anything. I actually got it specially cleaned to make sure it's perfect..."

"Oh. Thanks! You didn't have to do that." Rei smiles and takes the game from him, placing it in her bag.

"...Mm….."

An awkward silence hangs in the air as Akira tries to muster up the nerve to say something. He coughs and turns around, looking at the sky.

"Uh… Pretty snowy today."

"Yeah. Just like every day."

"...Y-Yeah. That's what I meant. Today is very everyday."

"Everyday isn't an adjective, Katekiyo-san."

"Oh."

The awkward silence, like the tendrils of some kind of lovecraftian horror, worm their way back into the atmosphere. Akira scratches his head and mumbles something apologetic, before turning back to Rei with a sheepish grin on his face.

"So, uh… I have something really important to tell you. After school, could you… Like… Only if you want to… Um… But could you meet me back at the classroom?"

"Sure!" Rei grinned and gave him a thumbs up, before tilting her head in confusion. "But… Why can't you tell me now?"

"Uh… Well… There are too many people around and this is… you know. Secret."

"Secret?"

"Secret."

"Oh…" Rei pauses. "Okay, then!"

"Alright. I'll… I guess I'll see you there, then! B-Bye."

With a wave, Akira slowly runs off into the school building. Rei waves cheerily behind him.

" _You're not going to meet up with him, are you?"_

Saber interjects, a stern edge to his voice.

"Huh? Of course I am."

" _He couldn't have been more suspicious if he was accompanied by a big, blaring warning siren blaring behind him."_

"Psssssh…" Rei waved her hand dismissively, shaking her head.

"I've known Akira for years now. He's always been like that. But there's nothing bad about him. He's a cool guy."

" _Cool… That doesn't sound accurate, for some reason."_

"...Yeah. You'd probably say that."

Rei speaks the words with venom. Almost spitting them out.

"But, you know what? He's one of my only friends. And, more than that, he's good at magic but he doesn't brag about it… Honestly, most people don't get just how cool he is. I bet he's one of the best in my class… If not the whole school. But people are quick to dismiss him just because he doesn't look the part."

" _I see…"_

"Good."

" _So, what you're saying is that he's an incredibly strong foe?"_

"What!? No! No, no, no! He's harmless! He wouldn't even hurt a fly! He wouldn't hurt a mosquito!"

~•~

She sits alone at her table. A rolled up newspaper before her. A sheet of incantations before her. She prods the paper as if it was a particularly unappealing dish.

It unravels.

She picks it up again and looks around the room. Everyone's already done.

She looks at the clock. She has barely any time left.

 _Maybe if I just hold it really hard… It'll seem like I've completed the task._

So, that's what she does. She grips it tightly. As hard as she can. Crushing the paper. Trying to make it as hard as steel.

But it's still only paper.

She looks back to the clock. Barely any time is left.

She sighs and half heartedly rolls the newspaper to it's original position.

She sighs and picks it up, muttering monotone incantations. She feels her magic circuits weakly shooting off a few sparks…

Nothing.

 _Shit. It didn't work. What kind of mage am I if I can't even do basic alteration?_

She slumps over and places her head on the table. She's resigned. She's done. She's given up.

A soft light appears, and she turns her head upward.

Looking around nervously, a portly figure pretends to lean on her desk while performing an alteration spell on the newspaper with his other hand.

He's… really not that good at looking unsuspicious. Actually, he looks incredibly obvious. He meekly turns to Rei as the light subsides.

"Um… Sorry."

"About what?"

"Well, uh… Time was running out and… I mean, I shouldn't have just done it for you… But, like, you looked like you needed some help so…"

He stutters and swallows, looking to the side guiltily.

"It's… It's pretty tricky. But, you know, if you just keep at it… It's do-able. So, um… Don't get discouraged, I guess…"

He looks at his shoes and coughs awkwardly before shuffling away back to his own desk.

He sits alone at his table. A hardened newspaper sits before him. He's been done almost since the very start. He looks at it and prods it, as if he's almost upset that he's finished with it.

Akira Katekiyo sighs and continues reading manga under the table, killing those last few seconds until the teacher inspects all their handiwork.

~•~

The school day ends as evening descends. And in the musky orange haze of the end of the day, Rei finds herself walking through the empty halls of the school. Somehow, during this time, everything feels so… ominous. Maybe it's the way the light flickers through the windows, maybe it's the crisp air that blows through the area. Maybe it's the silence. The indicator that one has passed through a passage into a realm that they were not meant to enter.

Rei finds herself listening to the rhythm of her own footsteps, trying to find something to focus on besides the eeriness that hangs over the abandoned school. Shouldn't the clubs be practicing today? What happened to that?

" _You said there was nothing to worry about."_

Saber chimes in with his typical smug tone.

"There isn't. But that doesn't make the school feel any less… spooky."

Rei snaps at him and then stops to look out one of the windows. Her eyes skimming across the field, to the building on the left, and then to the right. Up to the school clock, and then to...

"Huh?"

" _What is it?"_

"...Nothing. I was just seeing things."

" _Tell me anyway."_

"Why? It's nothing."

" _Trust me. These things tend not to end up as 'nothing.' Not in my experience, anyway."_

"Sheesh. You really are paranoid."

Rei continues to walk, no longer focused on the window.

Yet, she can't get rid of the feeling that she saw something. Someone, for a split second, was standing on the building opposite her's.

Well, it was less someone. More she saw something glint, and just assumed it came from a person. But, well, it could have easily just been a piece of metal left on the roof. Or, say, a particularly shiny cat. In any case, it wasn't necessarily human. And it was there for less than the time of the blink of an eye. Yeah. Probably nothing.

Rei opens the door to her classroom. It slides aside easily and noiselessly. Inside, Akira paces across the room. His face scrunched up and his eyes closed, he rubs his temples. He looks… scared. Yet, he gives off an aura that he's never given off before.

A determined aura.

As Rei enters, he bolts to attention, before falling back into his usual dejected slouch.

"Oh… It's you. H-Hi, Rei."

He stammers and regains his typical breathing pace.

"I, um… I'm surprised you came. I thought you'd, you know, head home or something."

"Why'd you think that?" Rei questions, pulling out a chair and sitting on it. She leans on the desk, resting her head on her hand.

"Ah… Reasons. I guess."

He makes a pained expression. It looks like he's trying to smile, but it looks more like a grimace.

"So, um… Nice- Nice weather we've been having, huh?"

He begins the conversation as he always does.

Awkwardly.

"We discussed the weather this morning, remember?" Rei teases.

"Oh. Right. Yeah… I, uh, I guess we did. Snowy and all that…"

"Mm… So, hey. What's this important thing you had to talk to me about?"

He shoots up and his face pulls further inwards, as if the center of his face were a black hole.

"Oh… Uh… Yes. It's important. I wanted to tell you… That… The thing…"

He stumbles over words, stalling for time, looking for something to say. Eventually, he sighs and sits down on a desk next to the window.

"Hey, Rei. Um… I'm really sorry about how much of a bother I've been over these past few years. I've… uh… I've probably been a big pain in the ass. I've asked a lot of your patience and, well… Um… I just wanted you to know I'm sorry about all of that. I just felt I should say that. Yeah."

He sticks his hands in his pockets and looks away from his subject. But Rei doesn't do the same, instead she looks directly at him, her eyes following his movement.

"What do you mean, Katekiyo-san? You haven't been a bother. In fact, it's been fun having you around."

"Sure…" He mumbles it.

"Though, uh… Where's this coming from all of a sudden?"

Akira draws a breath through his nose. His heartbeat is so loud, you could hear it in the total silence of the classroom.

"Well, I needed to apologise before I could ask you something…"

"What is it?"

"I.. It's a favour. It's a really big one. I sort of don't want to ask you it…"

"Don't worry, I'm up for anything! What do you need?"

He sighs and looks directly at her.

"Rei…

I really need you to…

Could you please…"

He swallows, and musters up his strength. He clears his mind and his voice.

"Rei, right now, I really need you to _die_."

And as he said the last word, the window erupted inwards in a flurry of glass and bullets, bathing Akira in a stream of orange light, the bullets tear towards Rei's body.


End file.
